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Disability Support Services

Disability services complaints and feedback

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What can you complain about?

A complaint is when you are not happy, and you want to tell someone the reason. There are no rules around what parts of Disability Support Services funded disability supports and services you can and can't complain about. 

If you complain to Disability Support Services about a service or provider that we do not fund, we are unlikely to be able to help you. But someone will tell you who to contact instead. 

Examples of complaints received in the past about funded services have included: 

  • quality of care
  • supports are not responsive to te ao Māori
  • choice of activities at home
  • personal care and hygiene
  • food choices
  • treatment by a support worker
  • physical environment (such as your home).

What to expect when you make a complaint

If you make a complaint you can expect that:

  • there will be someone you can talk with about your concerns
  • your concerns will be taken seriously
  • you will be treated with respect
  • your privacy and confidentiality will be respected
  • we will work with you to resolve any concern as quickly as possible
  • you will know the outcome of your complaint.

Please feel assured that making a complaint will not affect the care you receive and you will not get into trouble. Your complaint will only be discussed with the people directly involved.

How to make a complaint or provide feedback

We recommend making a complaint or providing feedback as soon as you can, so we can start work on getting you the support you need.  You can make a complaint or provide feedback in the following ways:

Complain or provide feedback to Disability Support Services

The information you give us is confidential. It will only be shared with the people directly involved in managing your complaint or feedback. You will be asked to give us your consent about what information you are happy for us to share. If you do not feel comfortable, you do not have to tell us your name.

We want to hear about your experience with your service provider or disability supports. Your honest feedback helps us assess what is going well for you and where the opportunities are to make improvements. This can include positive feedback, suggestions, ideas, concerns or complaints.

To make a complaint, please download and fill in the following form:

To give feedback, please download and fill in the following form:

  • Feedback Form (DOCX 94KB)  (DOCX 72 KB)for support and Services Use this form if you have positive or general feedback, suggestions, ideas or concerns that you don't think fit under the category of complaints.

 You can send us your completed form:

  • by email: info@disabilitysupport.govt.nz
  • by free post to: Complaints/Feedback Disability Support Services - Ministry of Social Development, Reply Paid: 262204 PO BOX 1556 Wellington 6140

If you can't use the form

If you prefer to talk to someone or are unable to fill out the form, please contact us by:

All complaints will be taken seriously.

Complain directly to your service provider

Sometimes, it might be quicker and easier for you to raise issues directly with your service provider.

They are there to support you and should listen to you, and often after a good honest conversation, your issue can be dealt with straight away.

If you like, you can have a family member, whānau, friend, or an advocate present when you meet with your service provider.

Whether you make your complaint in person, in writing or anonymously, to your service provider or directly to DSS, your complaint will be responded to.

Details of your complaint will only be shared with the people directly involved in managing your complaint.

Your disability service provider must:

  • give you written information about how to make a complaint.
  • tell you what the complaints process is, for example, who you can go and complain to.
  • tell you what is happening with your complaint.
  • let you know what else you can do.

Get support with making a complaint

You can ask an advocate, friend, support worker, family member or whānau to help you make a complaint.

There are also other services available that can support you:

 

What happens after you make a complaint or give feedback to DSS

If you make a complaint or give feedback to DSS, we will contact you within five working days.

We may need to talk to other people about your complaint. This may include talking to other people involved. We will need your consent to do this. Depending on the nature of your feedback, we will let you know next steps via email. If you would prefer to be contacted another way, for example by phone, please let us know when you make the complaint.

We will let you know the outcome of your complaint and the reasons for our decisions. We aim to resolve complaints within 20 working days.

More complex complaints may take longer than 20 days to assess and resolve.  If your complaint is complex and will take longer to work through, the person dealing with your complaint at Whaikaha will communicate this to you and will provide you with regular updates within reasonable timeframes.

What can I do if I'm not satisfied with the outcome of my complaint?

We will do our best to ensure you are satisfied with the outcome of your complaint investigation.

However, if you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, or you would like to take it further, there are several ways you can have your complaint independently reviewed. You can contact:

The Nationwide Advocacy Service

The Office of the Ombudsman 

The Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner 

The Human Rights Commission 

The Privacy Commission 

Updated on 24 October 2024
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